Global Anti-Poverty Essay Contest

Essays should highlight personal grassroots efforts and successes that can serve as models for lessening poverty around the world andeveryday struggles to have basic needs met.

[Global Essay Contest]

The National Peace Corps Association, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting returned peace corps volunteers (RPCVs) and the peace Corps community, launched a worldwide essay contest with SEVEN Fund called the Enterprise Solutions to Global Poverty Essay Contest.

The competition kicked off in April and runs through July 31 to generate innovative ideas on small enterprise development to fight globalpoverty. “This is an essay contest that is geared to those who have an interest in or have worked in the entrepreneurial sector in developing countries,” said Molly Mattessich, manager of online initiatives for the National Peace Corps Association who helped organize the essay contest. “We are asking writers to submit short essays that touch on personal experiences in the developing world where there continues to be a shortage of basic human needs.”

Essays should highlight personal grassroots efforts and successes that can serve as models for lessening poverty around the world and everyday struggles to have basic needs met. Submissions can approach this topic through the lens of cultural, religious, philosophical,technical, and academic traditions. Both past and present Peace Corps volunteers are strongly encouraged to enter.

The winner will be announced at the “Conversations: The Future of the Peace Corps Global Leaders” panel in Washington, D.C. on September 24, to coincide with the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary celebrations during that week. SEVEN and NPCA will award the grand-prize winner $5,000 and the chosen essay will be featured in WorldView magazine. The winner will also receive one ticket to attend the "Promise of the Peace Corps Gala" in Washington, D.C. also to be held in late September.

“We are collaborating with SEVEN to sponsor this contest with the hopes of bringing together the best ideas to help mitigate both urban and rural poverty,” adds Mattessich. “We anticipate a variety of submissions offering innovative approaches to small enterprise development that can be implemented on a modest budget.”